Everything More
by jekyllhj7
Summary: David's summer vacation is not exactly what he had planned.  David/OC
1. 1 Plans

**Everything More**

**A/N – This is my attempt at a bigger story. **

It's the first week of summer vacation. I don't think summer has ever felt this peaceful. The past year has been one hell of a roller coaster ride to say the very least and I was looking forward to almost three full months of not having to think about my feelings, about my status, about sports, even about Kurt Hummel.

Since this would probably be my last 'real' summer vacation, I slept till noon and spent my days playing Xbox or just veging out on the couch watching TV. It was heaven. But, as they say, there is no heaven on earth.

My bubble was shattered one evening when my father came home from work. I was in the middle of a great game of Call of Duty when my dad stepped in front of the TV screen. Knowing better than to say anything sarcastic, I quickly paused the game and put the controller down.

"David," he started. "You had been doing great this past semester at school. You're grades went back up and that Bully Whips program really straightened out your attitude."

I got a bit nervous at what he was getting at.

"You're not going to spend this entire summer on that couch doing nothing. You're an exceptional young man and have a lot to offer the world." He paused to take some papers out of his briefcase and placed them on the coffee table in front of me. "I'm not saying you have to get a job, but you're going to get out there. Here are some local groups that need volunteers. I want you to pick one and help out at least a couple of times a week."

I stared at the pamphlets. The top one was for a crisis hotline. Just great, I thought. So much for not having to deal with things this summer.

**A/N – Yeah, it's short, but this idea has been floating around in my head for about a month. Maybe if I post something, I'll actually get it going. I know where I want to go with it; I'm just working on actually getting there. **


	2. 2 First Day

Everything More – 2

**A/N – And here's my OC. He is named after the singer/songwriter that inspired so many of the stories in **_**David's Soundtrack**_**. I even modeled his appearance after the real thing. **

It was the following Monday afternoon when I found myself standing in front of the Lima City Health building. I didn't want to volunteer at a hospital since the idea of dealing with sick people and blood and stuff really skeeved me out. I didn't want to go to the Nursing home and have to entertain a bunch of old people all day. Yeah I had turned over a new leaf, so to speak, but I was still a teenager. So I had decided to volunteer at the crisis hotline. Dealing with people over the phone was easier than in person, right? No connections, no feelings, just a voice on the other end. Nothing personal.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the glass doors and followed the signs to the second floor. I easily found the right office and stepped inside. I don't know what I had been expecting. More crisis maybe? It was an ordinary, if a bit shabby, looking office. A bunch of desks with computers and phones, people talking to each other or on the phone.

I stood in the doorway waiting to be noticed. Finally someone stepped forward.

"Hi I'm Declan. " He said offering his hand. "You must be David." He was around my age, maybe a year or two older, tall and thin with bleached blonde hair cut short and spiked up. He had on jeans with a tight black t-shirt on with a loose hanging flannel shirt over it.

"Yeah." I answered shaking his hand and noticing his fingernails were painted neon yellow. "Most people call me Dave… or Karofsky."

Declan grinned. "Welcome to the Lima Crisis Hotline… _David_." He emphasized my name as he gestured towards the office. "Have you ever worked at a place like this before?"

Something about him instantly put me at ease. I shrugged. "No. Although I probably drove some people to call a place like this before."

He led me to the desk he had been manning. "Ahhh, a penitent." Then when he saw my confused look. "You're a changed man… atoning for your past."

I shrugged again. "I guess. A lot of stuff went down this past year." I didn't elaborate and thankfully he didn't press for more info.

"Take a seat, David." He pulled over a second chair to the desk and motioned for me to sit. "For today I'll just have you observe me to see how things work. Then maybe tomorrow I'll have to listen in on some calls."

The afternoon passed by pretty quickly. It wasn't as horrible as I had thought it would be. Declan was an awesome guy and we found out we had a lot of things in common as we talked between calls. Before I left, we exchanged phone numbers. "Just in case." He had said with a grin.

**A/N – Soooo what do you think?**


	3. 3 The Call

Everything More – 3

**A/N – Sorry for the delay. I've just been majorly exhausted lately and can't seem to concentrate on anything for too long. I've got a lot of issues going on that hopefully should be resolved one way or the other by next week, so forgive me if my updating is sporadic. **

It was Wednesday afternoon before I was back at the center. I wasn't sure I wanted to commit so I had just scheduled myself for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I figured then I could still have somewhat of a lazy summer.

I climbed the steps and headed down the hallway to the office and pushed open the door. Declan was sitting at one of the desks speaking quickly into the phone. When he saw me, a brief smile crossed the worried features on his face and he gestured for me to come over. I grabbed one of the extra chairs and sat down next to him at the desk. He moved the notepad he had been writing on so I could see it. It was mostly notes like _"young girl… high school... loner… "_One word on the page stood out from everything else because Declan had gone over the letters several times and circled it. _SUICIDE?_

I listened to Declan speaking on the phone. His face was a mask of worry, but his voice stayed calm.

"What about your parents, Lucy? They love you." A pause as the person on the other line spoke. "Of course they do. I know it's your decision and, hell, you don't even know me. But you called this number, Lucy, so there's gotta be a little bit of doubt in your mind. Just keep talking to me. What time do your parents get home?" He paused again and looked at the clock. "Okay then, Lucy. Just keep talking to me for a little bit longer. "He paused again, listening. "Is someone there now, Lucy? Good. No you don't have to tell them you were talking to me. Just promise me that if you feel like doing anything again, you'll call me okay?"

He hung up the phone and leaned back in the chair letting out a deep breath.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said rubbing his hands over his face. "She calls about once a week. Usually we talk until one of her parents gets home. I'm just afraid one day she won't call."

I was shocked. "Why don't you call the police or something?"

"Can't." he shrugged. "Don't have her last name or address or anything. It's what makes people feel safe calling us. We try to get as much information as possible, but we don't require it. People aren't going to open up like that if you know who they are. They call us because they know we won't… well can't really judge them."

I let that sink in. I wanted to tell him I understood. I wanted to tell him what I had done and why, but despite the comfort I felt with him I couldn't.

It was as if he sensed my unease because he instantly lightened the mood. "Come on," he said getting up and stretching. "Walk me to the break room."

**A/N – I do have more that I'm writing today, but I wanted to get something up. And this seemed like a decent place to stop.  
>Just in case, Lucy is NOT Quinn. I didn't even realize. It's just a random name I picked out. <strong>


	4. 4 Talking

Everything More – 4

I stood in the break room with Declan, leaning up against the counter watching him make his tea – lemon, a few drops of milk and two sugars. For some reason my mind tucked that away for future reference.

He turned around to face me leaning against the opposite row of cabinets and regarded me above the rim of the mug as he sipped his tea.

"So…. " He said smiling as he swallowed.

The way he looked at me, made me swallow as well. I knew that look very well, although I had never been on the receiving end.

"That was pretty intense, huh?" He asked.

His eyes bore into me, as if he could see into my soul. I blinked several times, but I couldn't look away. It took me a moment to realize he was referring to the phone call.

"Uh yeah." I answered my throat dry.

"No worries, David." He grinned, breaking the tension. "Most of them aren't like that. And once we get you on the phones, it'll be a while before you go solo on a call like that."

I nodded, still a bit nervous about what (if anything) had just transpired between us. Was I taking it the wrong way? Did he know about me? Was he trying to hit on me? I had no idea how these things worked. I mean, girls… well with girls they were girls, so of course you could tell. And Kurt… well he was almost a girl and it was obvious. But as I looked at Declan, I didn't know. Yeah, he was really thin and today he was wearing black skinny jeans with boots half untied and a black t-shirt with some band on it. He was a guy. A rocker punk type guy, but definitely a guy.

"Earth to David… report from orbit." Declan's voice interrupted my thoughts.

I blinked a couple of times, my mind coming back to where we stood in the break room. "What?

A look of concern crossed his features. "You okay, David? You seem a bit distracted today." He crossed the room to where I stood and put a hand on my arm. When his fingers touched my skin it was almost like a jolt of electricity passed through my body.

I stood up and stepped away from him towards the door to the break room. "Yeah, I'm fine. Like you said, it was pretty intense."

The rest of the afternoon we focused on the business at hand. I watched him as he took several more calls. Most of them pretty simple – kids complaining their parents didn't understand them, several women unhappy about breaking up with their boyfriends. Most of the people just needed to vent. After a while, Declan had me even listen in on a few calls. It was nice being able to help people. And the issue of anonymity went both ways. Because of whom I presented myself to be, I don't think I could ever have done this face to face.

At five, our shifts ended. Declan walked with me as we left the office. He didn't say anything until we got outside. As I turned to walk to my car across the lot he reached out to touch my arm again.

"David." I turned as the electricity shot through my body once more. "If you ever feel like talking, I'm a good listener."

He knew. Somehow he knew. And he didn't care. I nodded and quickly turned away before I could over think what he said. I saw him standing there as I pulled out of the parking lot. I watched him wave to me as I drove away.

**A/N – Comments are greatly appreciated. I'm not sure if I'm getting the voices right. I just have a vague idea where this is going, and I want to make sure it's making sense. These scenes are just kind of writing themselves. **


	5. 5 David and Lucy

Everything More – 5

**A/N – I thought I'd point out that this is not and will not be a Kurtofsky story. If you're looking for that, sorry. My focus is on David and making him happy. Whether that involves having Kurt in the story or not, I haven't decided. Not sure if the other ND people are going to be in it since my interest in them has been waning too. We'll see. **

**Also, I've decided to fast forward a bit. If anyone wants more stuff in between I'll see if I can put something between the last chapter and this one. I'm just going where the muse takes me. **

**And I just want to thank all my reviewers and people who have added me to their alerts and favorites. And thanks for Dray-Kun for encouraging me to write this and for understanding. :-)**

It'd been a couple of weeks since I started at the call center and I was finally taking calls. Like Declan had said, most of them were just people needing someone to talk to. And if I ever felt like I couldn't handle a call, I could just bring one of the more experienced people into the conversation.

It was kind of funny that I was actually enjoying spending time at the call center. Yeah, I thought I'd be wanting to spend my time sitting in front of the TV blowing things up, but this was really fulfilling and probably more intense. And my fears of having to face my own demons by working there, were completely unfounded. In order to really help the callers, I had to put my own issues aside and focus on theirs.

It was early Friday afternoon. I had been asked to come in a little earlier because staffing was a bit stretched. There had only been three of us here most of the morning – myself, Pam (an older woman who 'liked keeping in touch with today's youth') and Josh (a high school guidance counselor who worked here over the summers). It had been a pretty uneventful day so far, but just after lunch it started really picking up. It seemed the pressure of Friday night seemed to get under people's skin.

I had just finished assuring a guy that there was nothing wrong with wanting to say home on a Friday night. That just because his friends wanted to go party, doesn't mean he had to. I think he liked the fact that I told him I was a football player and still didn't always go out every Friday night. I took a long swallow of my Mountain Dew before I picked up the next call.

"Hello?"

A soft sounding female voice came on the line. "Declan?"

It was always hard when a caller requested someone who wasn't in. We had to assure them that it was okay to talk to someone else. "He's not in quite yet, why don't we talk for a while until he gets here?" Something about the girl's voice was familiar and something in my gut was telling me to keep her on the line.

This call seemed like it was going to be pretty intense and I wasn't sure I was ready to go solo yet. I looked around to see if Pam or Josh could help me on this one, but they were both intently talking on their respective lines.

"I really need to talk to Declan." There was a strain in her voice that scared me a bit.

I memory popped into my head and I cautioned a guess. "Is this Lucy?"

"How do you know who I am?" She almost whispered. "I thought this was supposed to be private."

"It's okay. It is private." I was worried she'd hang up. I needed to make some connection with her. "My name is David. You can talk to me."

And she did.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Forty five minutes later I was still talking to Lucy. It was strange. The source of our feelings weren't the same at all, but she was almost a kindred spirit. We seemed to understand each other… we both knew what it was like to hide everything from the world. It was hard. But while I still held up my façade, hers was crumbling. She didn't have the strength to hold it up anymore and she was ready to give it up.

I looked at the clock. Nearly four. She said her mom came home from work at four. I just needed to keep her talking for a little bit longer. Josh and Pam were now helping me with things to say to her. It had gotten way past the point of being to hand over the call. Finally I heard an older female voice in the background.

"Is that your mom, Lucy?" I asked.

"Yeah." She said softly.

An idea came to my mind, and I hoped it was a good one. "Lucy, have you ever told your parents that you call here?"

A gasp. "No, it's supposed to be private."

"I know. God I know about keeping things to yourself, but maybe they can help." I took a deep breath and told her the thing it had taken me so long to admit to myself. "You are not alone. I'm here for you, Declan is here for you and your parent s will be too. Don't shut everyone out."

I felt a hand on my shoulder followed by the now familiar jolt of electricity. I looked up to see Declan smile at me and give me a thumbs up with his other hand. I hadn't even noticed he had come in.

After reassuring Lucy, once more that she'd be okay at least for now, she hung up the phone. I hit the call end button and took off the headset before burying my head in my hands.

I felt Declan's hand slide down my back. "Are you okay, David?"

I took a deep breath and let it out, still keeping my hands over my face. "I don't know."

"Come on." I felt his arm under my own as he hefted me to my feet. Despite his gangly appearance, he was remarkably strong. "Can you guys hold down the fort until Deb and Mark come in?" I heard him asking Pam and Josh as he led me out into the hallway.

He didn't say anything else as he guided me down the steps and out into the parking lot. He kept his arm on my back as we crossed the lot. He stopped at a black Pathfinder and he opened the passenger door.

I looked up at him as I climbed in. "Where are we going?"

He smiled. "You need to relax." He said as he shut the door and walked around the car.

**A/N – Sooooo? Wow this one was pretty long (for me anyway) **

**Next chapter is going to be a bit fluffier – already have the idea, but I think David needed a crisis to come to terms with his own inner conflict. **


	6. 6 I Can Walk On Water

Everything More – 6

**A/N – This chapter was kind of inspired by listening to Basshunter on my way to work this morning. (Specifically the tracks 'Angel in the Night' and 'I Can Walk on Water' – you can find them on youtube) I don't know if Lima actually has a 'downtown' but it's a decent sized city so I figured it probably did.**

**This is kind of the second part of David's 'breakthrough.'**

I leaned back in the passenger seat of Declan's car and closed my eyes. I was so mentally exhausted from that phone call; I was paying no attention to where he was taking me. He could be kidnapping me for all I knew. I had only known him about a month, but I trusted him. I knew he wouldn't do anything to me. And if he did, he had an awesome cover. I smiled as I thought of the headline… _"Murderer Masquerades as Crisis Center Volunteer"_

When the car eventually stopped, I slowly opened my eyes. We were in one of the downtown parking structures.

"Wake up Sleeping Beauty. " He said as he climbed out of the driver's seat.

I stretched as I opened my door and stepped out. "I wasn't sleeping." I grumbled. "Where are we?"

"Not there yet." He replied with a wink. "Come on, it's just around the corner."

I followed him down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. It was only about a five minute walk before we came to a brightly lit façade covered in neon and blinking lights.

He apparently sensed my hesitation and grabbed my arm and pulled me along. "It's just a _dance_ place. Don't worry big guy."

As we neared the entrance, I spoke up. "I don't have a fake ID."

He laughed. "Neither do I. It's just a dance club, though." He poked my arm. "Anyway, I work at a crisis hotline, do you honestly think I'd encourage teenage drinking. We have enough to deal with as it is."

Once inside the club, Declan guided us both to the bar area and ordered and iced tea and a Mountain Dew. He grinned as he pushed the latter towards me.

When we finished our drinks, I noticed he was kind of bobbing around next to me. "Ummm, hate to break it to you, but I don't really dance."

He laughed and leaned close to me so he didn't have to yell. "Everyone dances. Just not usually in public."

He grabbed my arm and pulled me out onto the dance floor. Like I said before, he is deceptively strong. He started dancing in front of me but I just stood there. I knew I looked like an idiot and I just couldn't do it. With my eyes darting around the dance floor, I failed to notice Declan getting closer. His breath ghosted my cheek as he spoke into my ear.

"Close your eyes."

"What?"

"Close your eyes and pretend you're alone in your room. Everyone dances alone in their room."

I started at him like he had five heads. I couldn't dance in a public place especially with a guy.

"David." He said, with a gentle smile. "I fully understand if you don't want to. But seriously give it a chance. Just let go for a little while. Let all the worries and stresses just melt away."

I looked around and let his words sink in. No one here was really dancing _with_ anyone else. They were just dancing. So I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I imagined I was alone in my bedroom with the stereo turned way up. The beat came up through the floor and through my body.

Declan's voice broke through with excitement. "You're dancing David! And you're good!"

My mind came back to where I was and I realized I was dancing and I didn't care. I was having a good time. The stress of the afternoon seemed to flow away like it had never been there. All my worries from the past school year seemed not to be so important anymore. It was just me there on the dance floor and just for this moment, nothing else mattered.

**A/N – Whew, wasn't sure I'd finish this today. David looked so happy dancing to Thriller that I figured it'd be a good release for him. No, his issues aren't magically gone, but sometimes it helps just to let go for a while. **


	7. 7 Opening Up

Everything More – 7

**A/N – Wow, thanks for the comments and the alerts. I love seeing them come up in my inbox. **

**If you're at all curious as to who I am basing Declan on, you can do a google image search on the real "Declan Bennett" :-D**

Saturday morning. I rolled over in my bed to look at my alarm clock. It was almost 10.30. I had been awake since about eight; the events of last night on a loop in my mind. Declan had been right. I needed to just let everything go, at least for a while.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

We had stayed at the club for a couple of hours just dancing. When we stepped outside the cool night air felt great against my sweaty skin. I turned realizing Declan was staring at me.

"What?" I asked a bit nervous.

He grinned, putting me at ease instantly. "I don't think I've ever seen you smile that much."

I laughed. "Yeah, I think it's been a while. Thanks for this."

He put his hand on my arm. "Anytime, David."

We went back to his car and he drove me back to the Health Center to get my own car. We sat in the parking lot for a few minutes not saying anything.

"Well, I better get home." I said. "Thanks again." I got out of the car and stepped to my own. As I put the key in the lock, I heard Declan get out of the car.

"David?"

I turned around and there he was standing right in front of me. He looked around the parking lot as if checking to see that we were indeed alone, and then he leaned forward and lightly touched his lips to mine. If his touch made me feel like a jolt of electricity was going through my body, then this was like the Fourth of July. It was so slight but unlike the kiss with Kurt, this one had meaning behind it.

Declan stepped back and smiled. "So I'll see you on Monday, huh?"

I didn't care about the cheesy grin that was probably plastered all over my face right now. "Ummm, yeah. Sure. See you Monday."

He got back in his car and waved as he drove out of the parking lot. After about three tries, I finally got my door open and the car started. The ride home seemed like a blur. Despite how exhausted I had been only a few moments earlier, I was now wide awake.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

And I was still wide awake. I don't know how I got to sleep at all last night. But as I lay in my bed, I found myself touching my lips as if trying to figure out if it was real.

A knock on my door brought me back to reality. "David." Came my father's voice. "Are you up yet?" He asked as he slowly opened the door.

I sat up in bed. "Yeah, kind of."

"If you don't have any other plans for today, I was wondering if you could help me clean up the garage. Then we can order some pizza or something and have a movie night later."

"Yeah sure, dad. No problem. I'll be down in like ten minutes." Not that I was excited to clean out the garage, but it was a welcome distraction from the thoughts running rampant in my brain.

I threw myself wholeheartedly into cleaning the garage. The manual labor of hefting boxes was music to my addled mind. I didn't even notice how much time had gone by until my dad made me stop for lunch.

As we sat in the back yard eating sandwiches, he spoke up. "You're awfully quiet today, David. Is something wrong? Did something happen at the hotline last night?"

I took a deep breath. "No. It's fine. Yesterday I just had a really intense call, and then one of the guys invited me out to blow of some steam."

My dad was quiet for a minute as if he was digesting what I said. I looked over at him and he seemed to be studying me. Was he figuring it out? Could he see it on my face?

"David," he began. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Oh god, he knew. I swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. It's just…" I took a deep breath and squeezed my eyes shut.

Immediately, I felt my dad's strong arms around me. "David, it's okay. I love you."

I don't know how long we stayed like that. It was like I was a kid again. I felt safe wrapped in my dad's big strong arms. After a while he stepped back again and sat back down in the other deck chair.

I looked over at him to see a big grin on his face. "So, what's his name?"

I couldn't help but smile back. Everything was going to be okay.

"Declan."

**A/N – Since David is so scared, I wanted to have Paul kind of take the burden off of his son actually having to come out and say the words. It seems like that's one of the biggest hurdles for David. Also, in case you didn't notice, I wanted to make a point of Declan making sure they were alone before he did anything. He senses that David isn't ready to be fully out to the world. **

**Comments are very welcome.**


	8. 8 Monday

Everything More – 8

**A/N - Wow, eight chapters. Thank you everyone for the alerts and reviews. Reviews are love and I seriously get excited over each one. It really makes my day. *hint hint nudge nudge***

I was a bit anxious as I pulled into the Health Center parking lot on Monday. I saw Declan's car parked in its usual spot and my stomach tightened. Despite what I told my dad, I didn't know if what had happened Friday was anything of significance. It wasn't really a date… or was it? The kiss was just a peck… god I didn't know how I was supposed to react to him today. Briefly I contemplated just going back home. But my sense of duty to the other people there and the people on the phones got the better of me and I got out of the car and headed inside.

When I stepped into the office, the people there looked up to see who had come in. I wondered if they could tell. Did I look any different? I didn't see Declan. While on one hand I was afraid to face him, but not seeing him made me wonder if he was avoiding me.

"Hey David." A voice came from behind me. I turned to see Declan coming out of the break room with his cow print mug.

I glanced around the office to see if anyone else was watching us, but everyone else had gone back to whatever they had been doing before I arrived.

Declan put his mug down on the desk and gently put his hand on my arm. "You okay about Friday?" He asked with a bit of hesitation.

Looking into his eyes, I knew he meant more than just Lucy's call. He was as nervous as I was about what had happened between us. I relaxed a bit knowing that. Then I smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay."

The rest of the afternoon passed easily. I took the desk facing Declan and we'd pass little notes back and forth and share smiles as we took calls. Does this mean we're together? Is this what it's like to have a boyfriend? _Boyfriend_. Wow, I actually thought the word and I'm okay with it. I looked over at Declan who was speaking on his headset and thought _He's my boyfriend._ I feeling of contentment spread over me and I grinned.

Declan looked up at me and scrunched his face up in confusion. "What?" he mouthed.

Thankfully my line chose that moment to ring and I quickly answered the call.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

When Declan's shift ended at four, I was on a call. He put his hand on my shoulder and smiled as he gave me a wave goodbye. The afternoon had been pretty busy so we hadn't really had any chance to talk. I waved back as he went out the door.

As I finished my final call of the day at five, I turned in my call sheet and headed out the door. I wondered if I should call Declan. I pulled out my phone as I headed down the main stairs. Maybe we could talk about things… or was that too forward. Did people actually discuss relationships or did they just let them happen? Was this an actual relationship? I felt like an idiot. Maybe he wouldn't answer and I could just leave a message.

As I stepped outside, I had finally gathered my courage and called him. Rounding the corner to the parking lot, I heard a phone start ringing. I looked up and saw Declan leaning against my car, his phone ringing.

I quickly hung up my phone and shoved it in my pocket.

"Have you been standing out here for the whole hour?" I asked.

He laughed. "Nahh. I walked down the block to get a tea."

"Why didn't you just wait upstairs?" I asked. Amazed at myself for even considering that he should wait for me in full view of other people.

He shifted against the car and took a glance around the parking lot. "I wanted to ask you something that I wasn't sure you'd want everyone to hear."

My mouth went dry. "Ummm, okay." I managed to squeak out.

"Well, if you're interested… I got two tickets for the Indians –Yankees game in Cleveland this Saturday." He said smiling. "I know you like football and hockey and you were wearing that Yankee cap the other day and I figured maybe you might want to go with me."

I couldn't believe it. Was this a date? Like an official one. He was asking me to go all the way to Cleveland with him for a game? He noticed the Yankee cap? Despite living my entire life in Ohio, my father, a born New Yorker, had dutifully raised me as a Yankee fan.

I grinned. "Yeah, sure. That would be awesome."

He relaxed and smiled. "Great. It's a day game so I can pick you up early on Saturday morning or something. We can figure out the details later."

He pushed away from my car and gave my arm a quick stroke as he walked away. "See you Wednesday for our shift."

I smiled and waved as he walked across the parking lot to his car.

**A/N - Can't believe I went so far as to consult google maps to see if the trip was doable before I added the idea to the story. FYI – It would be about a 3 hour drive from Lima to Cleveland.**

**And yes, I made David a Yankee fan cuz I am. **


	9. 9 Meet the Parent

Everything More – 9

**A/N – This will prob be the last chapter until next week. I am going to a Yankee game (Go Yankees!) tomorrow and then getting my history on at Valley Forge, PA on Sunday. **

**Thanks for the reviews and alerts! Remember Reviews are Love! **

Saturday morning. Six AM. I was sitting nervously at the kitchen table staring at my cereal. Declan had said he'd be by around seven to pick me up.

"I always figured I'd be the one to take you to your first Yankee game." My dad said, as he leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee. He smiled so I knew he wasn't really upset.

I looked at the clock again. 6.20am.

"Don't worry, David." My dad crossed the kitchen and sat down at the table across from me. "It'll be fine. I can see he's been good for you."

"What?" I asked looking up from my soggy Cheerios.

"You've changed a lot since you've started seeing him." He smiled again. "You're happier. You seem so much more sure of yourself. And you're not hiding behind some mask. I'm proud of you, David. And if this Declan had even the tiniest part in that change, then he's okay in my book."

Our little moment was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. I looked up at the clock. It was 6.45. My dad took my bowl from me and motioned for me to go answer the door.

I opened the front door to find Declan standing there, hands in his pockets. He was wearing a Derek Jeter jersey and a Yankees cap. I grinned and stood aside to let him in.

"My dad'll be happy you're not a Cleveland fan."

As he stepped inside, my dad entered from the kitchen. "So this is the young man responsible for the transformation of my son." He held out a hand to Declan who responded in kind.

"Guilty as charged, Mr. Karofsky."

"Please call me, Paul." My dad responded. "Especially if you're going to be coming around here in the future as often as David hopes you will." I nearly died of embarrassment.

Before my dad could say anything else, I interrupted. "We should get on the road." I said, nodding towards the door.

"Yeah, it's about a three hour drive and I want to get there to see batting practice." Declan grinned. "Thanks for letting me take David, Mr. Ka… Paul."

My dad walked out on to the porch with us. "Enjoy the game boys. You'll be in a crowd of 30,000 or so other people so I think I can skip the 'what are your intentions' speech this time."

I almost pushed Declan to the car so we could leave before my dad threw out any more zingers. As we pulled out of the driveway, Declan rolled down the window and waved to my dad.

"So does that mean we're getting the sex talk on our next date?" He laughed as he looked over at my now beet red face.

My heard skipped. _Next date? This was a date?_

**A/N – Sorry peoples. I had thought I'd get to the car ride today, but this chapter happened instead. I know it's short, but the words weren't really flowing today. I've got a lot of stuff going on in my head right now. Maybe I can write at some point this weekend. **

**I think Paul is having a little fun at David's expense. Especially now that he senses that his son is more comfortable with himself. **** Hopefully it wasn't too out of character. **


	10. 10 Riding in Cars With Boys

Everything More – 10

**A/N – Wow, ten chapters. Weekend was great. Yankees won! Woot! **

**Anyhoo, hoping this chapter turns out okay. Had a lot of trouble figuring out how to start it. I know what I want to say, but… I seem to have this issue in real life too… can't just walk up to someone and start talking. :-P**

**And HAHAHA… brilliant that there apparently is an OSU campus in LIMA! **

We rode in silence for a while. Declan seemed to be concentrating on the road and I didn't want to interrupt him. Plus I didn't know what to say anyway. Our conversations seem to have always started from a comment on something outside of us.

Once we were on the interstate, he spoke up. "David, you okay? You're awfully quiet."

I looked over. "Yeah, fine. I was just thinking."

"About?" he prompted.

I took a moment to respond. I didn't want to tell him I was dwelling on the word 'date' and what its implications might be. So I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"It's weird. I feel so comfortable with you but I don't know that much about you." I grinned. "You're a man of mystery. Maybe you're taking me away to murder me and hide the body."

He glanced over at me and grinned back. "Well, first of all if I were going to murder you, then I wouldn't have made nice with your dad. And second, I wouldn't have wasted money on these." He pulled an envelope out of his pocked and handed it over.

I looked inside and pulled out two tickets. "Wow, field level!"

"Only the best." He said. "So what do you want to know?

"What?"

"You said you didn't know anything about me. What did you want to know?"

I was stumped. I couldn't think of anything specific. "Ummm… well, my dad's from New York and he's a Yankee fan, so that explains me. So what makes you such a fan out here in Ohio?"

He laughed. "Yeah, leave it to us to be rooting for a team a thousand miles away. I actually lived in New York until I graduated High School. After I got accepted to Ohio State, I moved out here to live with my cousin so the tuition would be cheaper. Been here two years now, and still can't get the Bronx outta me."

I did a mental calculation_… two years… so he's twenty. Wow_.

"Cool. So what are you studying?" I asked.

"Education. Well, kind of. Right now I'm doing education with a minor in psychology. I want to work in a school with troubled kids. I had it rough growing up and I want to make it a bit easier maybe for other kids."

"That's why you're at the call center." I said.

"Yep. What about you?"

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it too much. But lately I kind of was thinking about the same direction. Maybe counseling or something."

He looked over at me and smiled slowing. "You'd be good at that."

"Really?" I asked surprised.

"Yeah. You've been through some stuff, I can tell. And so you'll be able to really understand and help people. Not all clinical… you'll really _understand_ them."

I was quiet for a moment, then not really knowing why, just that I wanted him to know. "Last year I got expelled for bullying a gay kid at school." He didn't say anything, so I continued. Might as well get this out now. "Looking back I know I was jealous of him… how he could just walk around like it didn't matter. At the time I was just full of anger. When he stood up for himself, it just blew up and I kissed him."

I paused again seeing if Declan would react. When he didn't I kept going. "I thought he'd tell everyone what I'd done, so I threatened him. Finally his dad found out and I got expelled. My father went to the school board and got me reinstated, but Kurt had transferred by then."

Still no reaction from Declan. I looked over to see if I could tell if he was angry, disappointed… something. I couldn't' read his face. "He came back at the end of this year. I apologized and even agreed to help him form a PFLAG club at school next year." I took a deep breath. "Ummm… well. I just wanted you to know."

The car was silent as I waited for his reaction. And it wasn't anything I was prepared for. He laughed. Not a giggle or a chuckle, but a loud unrestrained laugh.

"You kissed him?" He asked when he could breathe. "Wow. You have more guts than I would have."

I was shocked. "That's all you have to say? What about what I did to him?"

He looked over at me. I could see the concern in his gaze. "While I wouldn't exactly condone how you handled it, I understand." He put a hand on mine where I had rested it on my leg.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

We sat in silence for a while. He pulled off at a service area to take a break. I got out and stretched then leaned against the car while he went off to find a men's room. When he returned I watched him as he crossed the parking lot. The Yankees jersey hung open at the front showing a tight fitting white t-shirt underneath. Despite his slim build you could easily see his muscles. His hair had grown in a bit so the dark roots were showing under the bleached ends, but it was still short enough that he had it spiked up.

"How did you know?" I asked him when he stepped up to the car.

"Know what?"

I looked around. "About me. That I was…. "

Before I could finish he smiled. "Ohhhh." He leaned closer, his body almost flush against mine, and whispered. "Straight guys don't check out other guys the way you do." When I opened my mouth to reply he, put his finger on my lips. "Don't think I didn't notice you checking me out that first day. And hell, you were practically undressing me as I was walking across the parking lot." And suddenly he was gone, walking around the other side of the car.

**A/N – Soooo, we know a little bit more about Declan. Hope it makes sense. I got interrupted several times writing this so I hope it flows okay. **

**Reviews are love! **


	11. 11 Turning Corners

Everything More – 11

**A/N – Okay not much feedback on the previous chapter so I'm not sure if it didn't go over well or not. **

**I have to add in a little advertisement for the book "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. It's a really intense book. Basically, it's about a girl who commits suicide and sends out a set of audio tapes in kind of a chain letter form to all the people who had a hand in her decision. You'll be a different person after reading it**.

After what had happened at the rest stop, the remainder of the ride was almost in silence. I think it had gone a bit too fast for both of us. Instead we listened to the radio and the conversation consisted of commenting on the passing cars or billboards.

Once at the ballpark, we each got a hotdog and a soda and found our seats. We were right along the first base line – close enough to see the players easily but far enough away to know we wouldn't get any foul balls.

The Yankees won easily (helped by multi run homers by Jeter and Rodriguez) 7-1. Declan and I cheered loudly with the surprisingly healthy contingent of Yankee fans. As we filed out of the ballpark, it was only around 5pm so we decided to walk around the city for a little while to try to avoid the traffic.

Neither of us knew the city too well, so we didn't stray far from the parking garage. But thankfully we seemed to have fallen back into our comfort zones.

We were sitting on a couple of benches in a nearby park and had gotten back to the 'get to know you' questions we had started that morning.

"Not that I mind, but why do you paint your nails?" I asked him.

Declan glanced down at his nails, which were painted a navy blue today in honor of the Yankees. "Translation to: 'why am I wearing nail polish when I don't seem to be a flamer?'" He laughed. "Umm, guess it started in high school. I was in a band and the other guys were a bit emo. I wanted to fit in. And I just liked it. I'm not quite as emo as I was…. But the nails and hair I like."

"It suits you." I smiled at him.

We talked about childhood pets, favorite colors, best and worst subjects and everything in between. By the time we were back on the road, it was getting dark. The GPS said our estimated arrival time was 11.36pm. Declan called it his 'time to beat'.

"Do you like him?"

I jerked up in the seat where I had practically been dozing off. "What? Who?"

"That kid you bullied. Kurt." He asked eyes on the road.

I looked over at him to try to judge his reason for asking. His face was partly in shadows, the only illumination coming from the dashboard lights and the occasional oncoming cars. I stalled for time by grabbing one of the bottles of water in the cup holder and taking a sip. Once more I turned my gaze to the driver's seat and in that darkened car driving down the Ohio interstate I made my decision.

"I did." I answered, not taking my gaze from him.

He looked over at me. "'Did' as in not anymore?" He asked.

"Not anymore."

"Good." He returned his attention to the road.

It had been an exchange that contained maybe twenty words and had taken perhaps a minute to play out but we both knew a corner had been turned.

**A/N – Yeah I know these chapters are short and I'm dragging out this trip, but to me it seems better in pieces. **

**Comments are love and will really make my massively crappy day a little brighter. **


	12. 12 Good Night

Everything More – 12

**A/N – Okay this is the end of their trip. I wanted to get this section finished up before I go away this weekend. Most likely this will be the last chapter till next week. Also I'm helping another author with a story so; I'm going to try to work on that too. I've been putting that off for a while and I feel bad for holding that story up. **

**Anyhoo… here we go.**

After our silent, yet mutual revelation, it seemed like Declan slowed down. It was after midnight when we finally pulled up in front of my house. The porch light was on and it looked like the kitchen light was on as well.

I didn't know what was supposed to happen next. I took a deep breath and rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans.

"Today was a good day, wasn't it?" Declan asked.

"Yeah." I turned to look at him. "Thanks for asking me."

"Thanks for accepting. " He laughed softly. "We should do it again. Well not necessarily the game, but... you know…"

I shifted in the seat. "Yeah, that would be cool."

We had talked about so much all day; it seemed strange to have nothing to say now.

"My dad's probably waiting up. I guess I should head inside." I said nodding towards what I thought was moving curtains.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty late. I'll see you Monday, right?"

"Monday… yeah." I said as I opened the passenger door.

Just as I started to slide out of the car, something clicked in my mind. I leaned over and pressed my lips to his. When I pulled away, he leaned closer and we kissed again.

Separating I could sense his grin. "You should go."

"Yeah, I should." I said returning the smile, our foreheads still touching.

He gently touched his lips to mine once more, then pushed me away. "Go," He said playfully. "Before your dad comes out to pry us apart."

Reluctantly, I slid out of the car and closed the door. I walked up the driveway and turned to wave as I got to the front door. I saw Declan wave back before starting the car and pulling away.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I lay awake in my bedroom. Today had been one of the best days of my life and it had nothing to do with the Yankees winning. I grinned in the darkness.

My dad had been waiting up but didn't press for details. He just wanted to make sure I got home safe. We just spend a few minutes talking about the game and how the day had gone. I could tell from his face that he knew a little of how I felt. I was glad my dad could pick up on these things since I don't think I was quite ready to actually discuss it with him… or anyone really.

I thought about the discussion (or lack thereof) in the car. Declan seemed to have that understanding as well. He just knew. I didn't need to come out and verbalize everything I was feeling and I was grateful for that.

I took a deep breath and let it out with a smile. Declan was definitely right. Today had been a good day. I closed my eyes and let sleep come.

**A/N – Yeah I know it's really short. I just wanted to finish out their trip and thought it worked better as its own chapter than the end of another one. I have the next couple of chapters mapped out to take it to the beginning of senior year. Dunno if I'll continue with school, or maybe make that a new story rather than keep dragging this one on. **


	13. 13 We Could Be Brilliant

Everything More – 13

**A/N – Okay I lied about the other chapter being the last one this week. I keep getting ideas for the end (of this particular story) and I want to get to it. **

**This chapter is basically some fluff to make time move along a bit more. I know I spent like three chapters on one day and now I'm rushing forward. **

Monday couldn't come fast enough. I felt like one of those people I always made fun of - the people who told their boyfriend/girlfriend that they'd miss them, even if they were only going to class or something. When I was with Declan, it was like a feeling of contentment just washed over me.

I practically raced up the steps to the call center, but calmed myself just enough so I didn't slam the door open when I entered the office. I grinned when I saw my boyfriend look up and smile at my entrance. _My boyfriend_. I was thinking it was such ease now. Granted I hadn't quite said it out loud yet, but hey.

He was on a call so I headed to the break room. I grabbed his cow print mug and fixed him a cup of tea… just the way he liked it - lemon, a few drops of milk and two sugars. After taking a bottled water for myself, I went back into the office. He was off the phone when I approached the desk and handed him his mug.

He let his fingers linger against mine when he took the mug. "How domestic of you." He grinned.

We didn't get to talk much that afternoon, but it was okay. We passed little notes to each other and it seemed we could often just give the other a look and something would pass between us.

It was almost time to leave and Declan and I were having a pretty intense gazing session, when from across the room we were interrupted by Pam's gravelly voice.

"Jesus, you two! Get a room already! All day you've been making googley eyes at each other. It's enough to make an old woman sick!"

It was a good thing neither one of us were on the phone. I turned a bright shade of scarlet and buried my face in my hands, while Declan practically spit out his tea before bursting out laughing.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After the Pam Incident, we did our best to be more professional in the office. But out of the office we were making the most of the end of summer. We'd go to the movies… out to dinner. We weren't advertising our relationship, but in a darkened theater we'd cuddle, or hold hands walking through the park in the evenings.

My dad had me invite Declan over for dinner so he could make sure of "the boy's intentions in dating my son." And of course I was invited over to Declan's aunt's house. She welcomed me with open arms and even had my dad over one evening for dinner. I felt at peace.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

But in early August, my little bubble began to show cracks. Football practice was about to start. For the whole summer, I had been able to pretend that McKinley High School didn't exist. That I was just a guy who happened to be dating another guy.

We were sitting on the couch in my living room watching a movie the night before my first practice. I was leaning against the arm of the couch and Declan, being a bit slighter than I was, was leaning against my chest.

"You don't have to tell them if you're not ready." We had had this discussion before.

"I know." I sighed running my fingers down his arm. "I don't want to hide what I have with you, but I'm scared."

He turned over so he was lying on top of me. "David. I understand. I've told you over and over, that you need to go at your speed. I'm here for you. If you don't want me to kiss you goodbye if I drop you off at school, then fine." He grinned, trying to make light of my worries.

It worked… just like it always did. I smiled. "You can kiss me goodbye before I get out of the car." I said leaning up to capture his lips with my own.

We were interrupted by my dad clearing his throat. "It's a bit late isn't it boys? And you have practice tomorrow don't you Dave?" He asked. While my dad and I were getting more and more comfortable with my sexuality, he still got a bit unnerved about 'public' make out sessions.

Declan sat up on the couch and looked at the clock. Nearly 11pm. "Yeah. We weren't really watching the movie anyway."

My dad laughed. "I could see that."

I blushed and grabbed Declan's jacket as I stood up. "Walk you out?"

We stood at his car. "Want me to meet you after practice tomorrow? It's probably gonna be kind of stressful for you and maybe we can go out to dinner or something."

"That would be cool. Gives me something to look forward to." I leaned in to kiss him.

He deepened in for a moment then pushed me away. "Now go to bed young man. Busy day tomorrow." He said as he got in his car. I watched him pull out of the driveway and disappear down the road before heading inside.

**A/N - Yeah… leaving it on a bit of a cliffhanger. How is this 'new' David going to get along with the guys he hasn't seen much of all summer? **

**Sorry, but don't worry I DO have the chapters mapped out. Probably looking at about another chapter or two. **


	14. 14 It Doesn't Get Much Better

Everything More-14

**A/N – Yeah, it's a been a while, but I was away for the weekend and then the brown stuff just hit the fan. **

**Anyhoo… this story is almost finished – maybe one more chapter after this one. But don't worry, I've decided that rather than drag this one out, I will do sequels. I also have an idea to tie this to an older story of mine. (Thank you ColourMeDemented) Not sure exactly how I'm going to do it yet, but I'll work on that. **

Since Declan was going to pick me up after practice, I asked my dad to drop me off on his way to work. It was too early for anyone else to be there yet, so I sat on the steps outside the gym with my duffle bag next to me. I wondered how things would be after everything that had happened over the summer. Things were different… _**I**_ was different.

After a while, some of the guys started to arrive. I picked up my duffel and headed into the locker room. I unlocked my locker and started to get changed.

"Hey, D!" A hand slapped my back. "Long time no see, man."

"Hey Z." I said pulling off my 'nice' t-shirt and grabbing a McKinley Titans shirt. "Been kind of busy this summer. Sorry about that."

"No sweat dude. You told me about that volunteer crap your dad made you do." Azimio grinned. "But you're back now."

I shrugged. "It was actually kind of cool. It made me think about going into that kind of thing. I met some nice people too." I smiled at the thought of Declan.

Unfortunately Azimio caught that smile. "Nice people huh?" He nodded as if sharing a secret.

Thankfully, Coach Bieste came in then and yelled at us to finish getting dressed and get out on the field. I threw on my shorts and cleats and headed outside.

The drills were pretty standard for the first day back – running, blocking, etc. It was kind of weird. After spending all summer at the call center and with Declan, I felt older… more mature than the guys. A couple of them kept making comments on my change of attitude, that my eternal scowl was gone and I didn't seem pissed off at everyone anymore. Az chimed in and told everyone I had "met some nice people" over the summer. Yeah, with the air quotes. Then everyone had to chime in about "Karofsky's finally getting some."

Just when I was ready to walk off the field to get away from them, I saw a familiar patch of bleached spiky hair sitting in the bleachers. I thought I would have had heart failure at the idea of him showing up at school, but instead I felt a kind of strength. I wasn't alone.

The rest of practice went smoothly enough. Coach had come down on the guys for ragging on me saying we had to be united if we wanted to win another championship. I kept sneaking glances at Declan in the bleachers. He never called out or cheered, or did anything to draw attention to himself. He just sat quietly and waited.

I showered quickly and changed into the jeans and dark fitted t-shirt I had arrived in. My wardrobe had neatened up significantly over the summer. I wasn't trying to dress 'gay' or anything, but being with Declan and feeling more secure about myself made me want to dress nicer.

I threw my practice clothes in the duffel with my cleats and headed out of the locker room. Declan had come down to stand next to the bleachers and was waiting as I walked toward him.

"You looked good out there." He smiled.

I grinned back. "How would you know, you don't know anything about football."

He took my duffle and started walking away. "Who said I was talking about football?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

As we got closer to his car, and away from the building, Declan slipped his hand into mine. I looked down and smiled.

"So where are we going?" I asked going over to the passenger side.

He unlocked the doors and threw my duffel in the back seat. "I promised to take you to dinner if you made it through your first practice unscathed. So where do you want to go?"

We sat for a few minutes watching the other players come out to their cars and drive away. No one looked twice at the SUV parked in the parking lot. I don't know if it was still the adrenaline from practice or perhaps the feeling of inner strength I always seemed to get around Declan, or even just plain stupidity that made me decide, but for whatever reason I suggested we go to Breadstix.

**A/N – And a cliffhanger. Don't worry. I know what's going to happen (and it's gonna be good... mwahahahaha) Looks like there's going to be one more chapter in this story. I do plan to do sequels, as I said, so if you have any ideas on scenarios that you'd like to see Dave and Declan in, just let me know and maybe I'll do it. **


	15. 15 I'm Gonna Let It All Work Out

Everything More – 15

**A/N – Okay, this is the last chapter. But don't worry; I hope to write more about these guys. I almost don't want the new season to start because canon pisses me off. **

**Thank you so much for all the alerts and favorites. Each and every one makes me smile. **

**So anyhoo… I hope I did these guys justice. Enjoy.**

My stomach clenched up as Declan pulled into one of the parking spaces in front of Breadstix. What had made me choose this place? Was my subconscious ready to announce my secret to the world? Well of course, not the world, but close enough. Breadstix was one of the most popular restaurants in our area of Lima. I relaxed a bit when I saw that there weren't many people there yet. It was a Tuesday and it was still early.

Declan seemed to sense my anxiety. "David, we don't have to eat here if you don't want to." He said putting a hand on my leg.

I took a deep breath and looked over at him. "No. I'm okay."

We got out and walked up to the door together. Declan walked by my side but made no body contact. Once inside we were lead to a table near the back. I took the side of the table facing towards the door, so I'd be able to see anyone that came in.

We ordered our meals and got into a casual conversation. I began to relax as I saw that no one was paying us any attention. And Declan, knowing my insecurities (and thankfully not really caring about them) reassured me by putting his leg against mine under the table instead of taking my hand. Eventually I found myself not looking at the door every time I heard the bell announcing someone's arrival.

After we finished our entrees, we shared a molten lava cake for dessert. Without even thinking I lifted my fork to Declan's mouth to give him a taste. It seemed when I was with him the outside world didn't matter. I happened to glance at the now occupied table next to ours, and was surprised to see an older couple – both smiling at us.

Eventually the waitress brought the check. Declan grabbed it before I could even react. When I looked at him, he just smiled. He slipped his credit card into the folder and handed it back to the waitress. When she brought it back, he filled out the tip information and signed it. Then gave her one of his best smiles as he returned it to her.

"Thank you and you two have a wonderful rest of your evening." She smiled back.

As we stood up to leave I glanced at my watch. We had been there nearly two hours. I looked around and saw that the restaurant had filled up considerably and there were people waiting at the hostess stand. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Declan took my hand and I didn't resist. I needed as much strength as I could get to get.

I relax as we finally step out into the cooling evening air. It was dusk and the heat of the day was dissipating. I stopped as I saw a familiar figure bent over a cell phone while sitting on one of the benches outside. Seeing where I was looking, Declan released my hand and waited to see what I wanted to do. I knew we'd have to walk right by him, so I couldn't ignore him.

I continued down the remaining steps, Declan at my side and stopped at the bench. "Hey, Kurt. Long time no see" I said.

Kurt Hummel looked up, started at my voice. "What? Yeah. Um, I'm just waiting for Mercedes to meet me for dinner. How have you been?" He asked hesitantly. It seemed he found this as awkward as I did.

"Pretty good. Been kind of busy this summer volunteering and stuff." I took a deep breath and went for it. "Umm, I kept meaning to call you or something, but I really wanted to thank you for everything last year. I was going through a lot and I don't know if I'd be here today without you."

I could tell my words surprised him. "Um, wow. I'm glad I could help you."

The astonishment on his face grew when I took Declan's hand in my own and pulled him next to me. "Kurt, I'd like to introduce my boyfriend, Declan." It was the first time I'd actually said it out loud. My dad saw us together so I'd never had to actually vocalize it. I'd thought the words plenty of times, but it felt liberating to say it out loud.

Declan held out his free hand to Kurt. "Nice to finally meet you. David has told me so much about you, and he's right that in a way you made this possible." He smiled as Kurt hesitantly shook his hand. "Um, this may seem a bit forward, and David might not be ready, but are you still with that guy?" He looked at me. "Blake? Brand?"

"Blaine." Kurt corrected him flatly.

Declan chuckled. "Yeah, that's it. Well, maybe the four of us could go out sometime."

Kurt looked from Declan to me and back again. He seemed a bit uneasy. "I don't think so. We broke up right after school ended."

"Oh, sorry." Declan said. "Well maybe the three of us could get together or something."

Kurt shrugged. He seemed almost jealous of me being with Declan. It was kind of weird with the situations reversed. I wanted to feel sorry for him, but that was in the past. I don't think I could ever have been with Kurt. He was too demanding. I needed more reassurance than he was able to give, I needed someone who'd let me go at my pace. I had that in Declan.

After a few more awkward moments, we said our goodbyes. Kurt promised not to say anything to Mercedes or anyone else. Since Declan was in college, school wouldn't be too much of an issue. I knew he'd keep the secret until I was ready.

Declan and I walked back to his car hand in hand. I looked up at the darkening sky and saw a single star. After making a wish, I turned to look at the man walking next to me and I knew everything would work out.

End

**A/N – Soooo…. That's it. What do you think? I do plan to write more for these guys – Davlan (as Dray-Kun has dubbed them) I'm not sure when, but if anyone has any ideas, I'll see what I can do. My ultimate goal is to eventually tie it in with one of my future fics. So I know where they'll end up, I've just got to get there. ;-)**

**-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-**

**Oh, and while this was never a songfic (obviously), it was conceived from the idea of a song written and sung by the real Declan Bennett. The title of the fic and the titles of these last few chapters come from the song. **

**You can check him out singing the song on youtube - 4 /watch?v=8Q7eqhqhesw OR watch?v=qg8I3pYMuuU**

**Lyrics**

**Smoke cigarettes and take drugs  
><strong>**Go clubbing till you can't stop  
><strong>**Bring a bottle in a hip flask  
><strong>**Do it even if they don't ask  
><strong>**Put a sign up in the garden  
><strong>**Invite a sit around for dinner  
><strong>**Lie back and watch the stars peek  
><strong>**Cuz I'm gonna let it all work out  
><strong>**  
>Cuz it doesn't get much better<br>****Than what we've got right now  
><strong>**So keep it up  
><strong>**Come on and keep it up  
><strong>**Come on you know  
><strong>**That we could be brilliant  
><strong>**If only we knew what the end would bring  
><strong>**We'd all be sure and do much more of everything**

**I'll find a god for you to pray to  
><strong>**And tell your friends so that they can pray too  
><strong>**And build a bridge so you can burn it  
><strong>**Fuck a lesson up and learn it  
><strong>**And cry your eyes out in public  
><strong>**And tell somebody that you love them  
><strong>**Pretend you never had a conscience  
><strong>**Cuz I'm gonna let it all work out**

**Cuz it doesn't get much better  
><strong>**Than what we've got right now  
><strong>**So keep it up  
><strong>**Come on and keep it up  
><strong>**Come on you know  
><strong>**That we could be brilliant  
><strong>**If only we knew what the end would bring  
><strong>**We'd all be sure and do much more of everything**

**Cuz death is just an option  
><strong>**I would rather just ignore  
><strong>**Do everything more  
><strong>**Do everything more  
><strong>**Do everything more  
><strong>**Do everything more  
><strong>**Do everything more  
><strong>**Do everything more**

**Let the darkness overcome you  
><strong>**Let depression be a virtue  
><strong>**Let yourself be more than you do  
><strong>**Trust enough to let yourself come out**


End file.
